Saturday May 20th - Day 1

Our rendezvous at the airport of Barcelona went smoothly, and after a short coffee break we headed west towards the steppes of Lleida. A short stop here allowed us to get started on the birding, and also allowed Nancy to stretch her legs after the long journey from the other side of the Atlantic. Driving around the fields of the area revealed several Calandra Lark, and we also had very close views of the first Hoopoe of the trip. In a small pine forest we heard Green Woodpecker and saw Bee-eater, Golden Oriole, Tree Sparrow, and Goldfinch. We also had excellent views of a Mistle Trush perched on a wire; next to a couple of Wood Pigeons this large thrush seemed somewhat dwarfed! A Marsh Harrier was hunting low over the fields, and Common and Lesser Kestrels were seen frequently in the vicinity of their favourite old buildings.

After a late lunch stop at a roadside venta, we went on towards Boletas Birdwatching Centre in the village of Loporzano. We settled in, rested a bit, and then went out to explore the area. A visit to the nearby Castillo de Montearagon produced all three species of Wheatear (Black, Black-eared, and Northern), as well as Rock Sparrow, Tawny Pipit, and an overflying Egyptian Vulture. Alberto performed his first chicken dance in order to celebrate his new lifers, and we went back for dinner at Boletas with high hopes for the following day.

Sunday May 21st - Day 2

After breakfast we headed for the nearby Rio Flśmen. On the way we stopped in a small fruit plantation where we had great views of singing Melodious and Orphean Warblers. Cristian made an attempt at snake taming, yet the snake was highly uncooperative and left him with a bite - fortunately it was a specimen of the non-poisoneous Ladder Snake (Elaphe scalaris), so the trip went on (almost) undisturbed.

We parked the car and slowly made our way down the rocky slope towards the river. Woodlarks were singing around us, and in the valley a Golden Oriole was persistently calling us from its hide-out in the green foliage. The river valley itself was gorgeous. Trees provided shade for us and good cover for the birds (a little too good for locating the calling Scops Owl!), and we saw a great number of colourful butterflies resting in the mud. Several pairs of Golden Oriole were present in the valley, and we saw at least three different males. Another good sighting was 'the bark bird' - a Wryneck sitting motionless in a low bush, staying just long enough for all of us to see it in the telescope. After enjoying our picnic by the river, Cristian went back up the hill to bring the car round, and the rest of us walked along the river to meet him at the main road. This walk resulted in good sightings of Spotted Flycatcher, Woodchat Shrike, Bonelli's Warbler, and Stonechat, and also our first glimpses of Crag Martins.

In the afternoon we paid a visit to the Lammergeier feeding station in Santa Cilia. Lots of Griffon Vultures were around, but due to our timing we saw no Lammergeiers. It was a very pleasant stop though, and Alberto found a shady spot to enjoy a well-deserved siesta. As we left Santa Cilia, we stopped at a very large, beautiful snake lying dead at the side of the road. We later learned from a couple of our fellow birdwatchers in the area that this snake had been picked up by a Black Kite just as they had driven by. In a small valley with clusters of trees interspersed between the fields, a Green Woodpecked flew over a large open area next to the car, yet a quick search did not reveal its hiding place and Alberto maintained his belief that woodpeckers are in fact extinct in Spain.

We continued on to Vadiello, where we saw several nests of Griffon Vulture, and a lone chick of Peregrine Falcon sitting on its nest. While we were watching the opposite rock face, a Lammergeier circling overhead drifted briefly out from the rocks behind us, but we only caught a glimpse of its tail before it disappeared again. We also had great views of Red-billed Choughs mobbing a Raven over the gorge, and a male Blue Rock Thrush was perched on a cliff top across the valley. Satisfied with our first full day of birdwatching, we went back to Boletas for dinner, red wine, and a good night's sleep. We discovered that the other residents at Boletas, Alan and Joe, would also be staying in our next hotel, and we spent the evening comparing our plans for the following couple of days.

Monday May 22nd - Day 3

After breakfast we packed the car and headed north towards the Hecho valley. We started off with a short stop at Castillo de Montearagon where we this time had brief views of a Spectacled Warbler. Also, a RED male Linnet finally turned up and stayed long enough to convince Alberto that the field guide wasn't wrong after all ;)

At the monastery of San Juan de Peńa we took a break to stretch our legs and see what the area had to offer. However, school classes were pretty much dominating the area, and we only saw Blue Tit, Firecrest, and a male Bullfinch as new species for the trip. Further along the road we pulled off by a river and were rewarded with up to seven Black and Red Kites displaying in the air simultaneously. The light was just right for enjoying the beautiful colours of the kites, and also perfect for appreciating the shape and markings of the Honey Buzzard passing overhead. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming in the river forest, and Blackcaps and Chaffinches were singing all around us.

In the Hecho valley we decided to go birdwatching before checking in to the hotel. We went straight up to Gabardito where we had our lunch in a sunny spot with good views of the cliff faces surrounding us. Refreshed and ready for more birding, we decided to head up to the local Wallcreeper site. The path to the cliff turned out to be no less than a pilgrim route for ornithologists, yet the reports of the returning pilgrims were varied. Some had seen two Wallcreepers after waiting half an hour, and others had waited for two hours without seeing anything at all. After a quick council in the group we decided not to wait for too long - after all, Nancy still fancied seeing a Robin just as much as she fancied seeing a Wallcreeper! So we stayed just long enough for Alberto to find a Chamois climbing the steep cliffside. Just as we left, our friends from Boletas arrived at the site; we wished them luck and headed down. On the way down we followed a Coal Tit to its nest in the ground, and we also heard and saw several Crested Tits. Back at the car we had an adult Lammergeier fly just over the clearing, and we heard our first Crossbills in the nearby pine trees.

After a short coffee break we headed towards Boca del Infierno. Nancy spotted a Dipper, and we all enjoyed the sight of a pair of Grey Wagtails feeding their three chicks - one on each side of the river, and one sitting on a large rock in the middle of the racing water.

We checked in to Hotel Castillo d'Acher and later met with Joe and Alan for dinner - they had (of course) seen the Wallcreeper just minutes after our departure! In return, Joe let Iben and Nancy have his dessert, and Alan even forgave Cristian for ordering him chick peas instead of green beans...

Tuesday May 23rd - Day 4

After an early breakfast in our hotel, we headed for the northern part of the valley. The day was overcast and fairly cool, and the mist hanging over the mountains created a sensation of being at a much higher altitude than the approximately 1500m we were actually at. Our first stop was promoted by a brief glimpse of a Bullfinch, yet once out of the car all we heard was a Cuckoo, and all that moved were a pair of Chaffinches. We continued onwards and were rewarded with superb views of a Dipper preening at the riverside (we saw a total of 6 this morning).

We stopped at an empty campsite, where we had excellent views of one adult and one juvenile Lammergeier. At first the birds were flying along the ridge, yet they soon landed to allow us to examinate them closely in the telescope. The young bird kept taking off from the cliff and landing again, while the adult remained perched on the clifftop. Nancy was barely able to take her eyes from the scene in fear of missing anything, until minutes later Iben found a European Robin singing from a treetop - not even a pair of Lammergeiers could compete with that! As we left the site, we found a little group of Bullfinches foraging on the ground below the trees. They allowed us all to enjoy their beauty for a while before chirping their way back to the denser part of the forest, and we were all happy to have had such a great view. A group of handsome mountain cows had settled around the car, and we soon discovered that their peaceful looks were deceiving when one of them with surprising speed and agility chased the shepherd's dog away from her calf. Luckily they did not seem to perceive us as a threat...

We continued further up the road and settled down for lunch near a little stream cutting the road (except for hikers and authorised vehicles). The sun came out, and so did the choughs. A large group of Alpine and Red-billed Choughs flew in and settled in the valley below, from time to time flying up as if to inspect us and our sandwiches. A male Black Redstart was foraging around us, and a few Chamois were spotted on the cliffs. A Marmot ran across a nearby field, and a Common Sandpiper was displaying at the river running at the bottom of the valley. As we started to head down, we spotted a Water Pipit in display flight and were later able to find it again in the telescope. A single Dunnock was singing in a low bush, and numerous Yellowhammers were seen along the track.

In the late afternoon we paid another visit to Garbardito. We remained in the vicinity of the cabin this time, where we finally saw a pair of Citril Finches. Cristian caught a Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis) with a bright orange belly. As we walked down the road, we encountered a group of Crossbills. Whilst watching the group and making sure we'd all seen the males well, a Northern Treecreeper showed up in a nearby tree and stayed around for a while. We then went back for dinner and double desserts at our hotel.

Wednesday May 24th - Day 5

After breakfast we said our goodbyes to Alan and Joe, packed the minibus and headed south towards the steppes of Belchite. It was a rather cold morning with temperatures down to 0° C, and some fields had a touch of frost on the grass. A trip down a quiet track produced Cirl and Ortolan Buntings, Garden Warbler, and Subalpine Warbler as new species for the trip, and also Corn Bunting, Blue Tit and Red-backed Shrike.

At Mallos de Riglos we decided to go for a walk, although the cliffs were full of climbers instead of birds. We saw many vultures (Griffon and Egyptian), but apart from that only a few birds were active. We found a picnic spot a couple of kilometres down the road, and whilst enjoying our sandwiches a Tawny Pipit popped up in a nearby bush. Interrupted only by short flights, it remained in the same bush throughout our lunch break. A Red Kite was perched on a nearby electricity pole, and the roadside was swarming with butterflies. Just as we took off, a pair of Red-rumped Swallows swooped by.

In the afternoon, we visited the steppes of Monegros. It was a very hot and dry day, and the air was thick with dust. One of our first birds was a Common Buzzard perched close to the road, soon to be followed by a pair of Stone Curlew - a bird that Nancy had long suspected to be extinct in Spain! We also saw numerous Bee-eaters, and in a shrubby area we found a pair of Spectacled Warbler. After spending a while waiting for perfect views of these birds, we continued along the road to encounter a Spectacled Warbler perched...on the road. We watched until the bird disappeared into the roadside vegetation, and then we carried on until stopped by the next bird on the road - a Red-legged Partridge trotting along.

Our next stop at an old ruin revealed breeding Jackdaw, Stock Dove and Little Owl, and we once again had the opportunity to admire a Hoopoe close up. We were out of luck regarding bustards, but instead we had great views of a pair of Black-bellied Sandgrouse resting in an open patch in one of the fields. We were enjoying their beautiful colouration until we noticed a fox creeping up on them from behind; then we starting worrying about their lives instead. However, the fox seemed to fall asleep in a pile of rocks, the sandgrouse remained oblivious to its presence, and after a while we decided to head for our hotel in Quinto. We had dinner soon after our arrival and headed straight for our rooms afterwards; it had been a long day.

Thursday May 25th - Day 6

We left the hotel at the break of dawn and headed for the steppes, hoping to hear the song of the elusive Dupont's Lark. As we arrived, we were instantly rewarded with a few stanzas and immediately got out of the car - perhaps we would even have a chance of spotting the bird? But no! Our luck ended abruptly as a pair of Italian photographers passed us in their van and parked right next to the singing male. It was no longer possible to tell where the bird was, and we decided on moving away from our rather selfish 'companions' this morning. A drive around the SEO/Birdlife reserve of Planerón revealed several singing Dupont's Larks, and we also had exceptionally good views of a group of Black-bellied Sandgrouse foraging in a field just next to the road. Lesser and Greater Short-toed Larks were seen everywhere, and a Hoopoe preening itself in the early morning light would have made a great picture (had anyone thought of taking a photograph). As we headed back towards our breakfast a few hours later, we stopped again at the site where the photographers' van was still parked. A lark appeared, flew a few metres, and landed right behind the van. A Dupont's! We were able to watch it for several minutes as it was foraging in the thyme bushes, and we could only smile at the fact that during those minutes the lark was completely hidden from the cameras inside the van ;)

After having a late breakfast in the hotel, we packed the minibus and headed out again. A surprise in the shape of an adult Great Spotted Cuckoo was waiting for us, and luckily it remained perched in a tree next to the road until we had all seen it well. As we continued along the sandy track, we came upon a pair of Pin-tailed Sandgrouse walking along the road in front of the car. For some reason they did not seem worried about us, and we were able to get the scopes out for superb close-ups of this elusive and very beautiful species. We could even see their thin pin-tails! The last bird of the steppes was a Golden Eagle perched on top of a cliffside; slightly blurred due to the heat, but still quite a sight. The last animal of the steppes was a Montpellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus) hurrying across the track; we were all happy to see that they from time to time survive crossing the roads - dead snakes are a way too common sight along the roads in Spain.

As we headed towards the coast and the Ebro Delta, we stopped for lunch in a quiet spot not far from Hijar. During lunch we found a Golden Oriole, and a Skylark was singing high in the sky. Later we pulled over to enjoy a Booted Eagle circling above the road, and from there we went straight to Sant Carles de la Rąpita where we would be staying for the next three nights in Hotel Llansola.

Friday May 26th - Day 7

After breakfast we headed for the northern part of the Ebro Delta. Upon entering the little roads through the rice fields, we immediately spotted our first Squacco Heron - soon to be followed by more. Our real starting point was the lagoon of Les Olles, where we saw Great Crested Grebe, Purple Heron, Grey Heron, Little Bittern, Slender-billed Gull, Mallard, and a pair of Red-Crested Pochard with eight little ducklings in tow. From a bridge crossing one of the delta's numerous canals, we also had great views of Great Reed and Reed Warblers, an ideal demonstration of the size difference between the two species. Further along the coast we encountered numerous Kentish Plovers on the beach, interspersed with Greater Ringed Plover and a single Dunlin. A Common Tern was resting on the beach, and the channels were continuously monitored from above by Whiskered and Gull-billed Terns.

The access point to Punta del Fangar turned out to be covered with loose sand, and we decided not to attempt going there. Instead we enjoyed the Collared Pratincoles nesting on the ground nearby, and the trip was certainly worthwhile. We had our picnics in the bird observatory of Garxal; a lagoon directly in connection with the Ebro River. The lagoon held a large group of Flamingos in addition to Spoonbill, Great White Egret, Purple Swamphen, Coot, and over the reeds several Zitting Cisticola were marking their territories. A Barn Swallow pair had their nest inside the observatory, and the male proved a good target for Alberto's digiscoping practices.

After Garxal we visited the observatory at the lagoon of Canal Vell. A male Reed Bunting of the rare witherbyi subspecies perched in the reeds just in front of us, but didn't stay long, and a pair of Eurasian Cuckoos flew right past the observatory and disappeared into the trees. Moments later we heard the male calling, and we saw him sitting on the electrical wire behind us. He stayed for several minutes, and after hearing Cuckoos and looking for them throughout the trip, it was a relief for Nancy to finally see one out in the open.

From Canal Vell we headed for the ferry and went across to the southern part of the delta. A visit to the SEO/Birdlife reserve of Riet Vell provided us great views of Little Grebe, Gadwall, Common Pochard and numerous Common Moorhen, and we also had a great opportunity to watch and compare several gull species as they were flocking around the spiky metal wheels of a tractor working in the rice fields. On the way back towards Sant Carles de la Rapita we stopped at La Tancada where we had great views of Avocets with chicks, Redshanks marking their territories, and an overflying Caspian Tern. We also had good views of the Reef x Little Egret hybrid resident in this part of the delta. From La Tancada we went back to the hotel where we shared dinner and a good bottle of red wine.

Saturday May 27th - Day 8

Waking up to another beautiful and sunny morning, we went for a day's birdwatching in the southern part of the delta. We started off with a visit to a small breeding site for Little Tern, Collared Pratincole, and Kentish Plover. The chicks were running around everywhere, already very fast and agile runners, and the parents were continuously bringing them food from the surrounding pools and rice fields. A pair of Slender-billed Gulls were foraging in a nearby lagoon with Purple and Grey Herons hunting side by side.

A short stop at the observatory at El Clot revealed a singing Savi's Warbler, and a pair of Black-crowned Night Herons crossed paths in the air just in front of us. At the Encanyissada lagoon, we saw a couple of Cormorants (a rare summering bird in Spain) and had excellent views of a group of Red-crested Pochard.

We went to the restaurant La Tancada for a traditional paella lunch prepared in usual great style by Pepe. After the meal we headed for the Tancada lagoon and the surrounding fields and abandoned fish ponds. We had great views of the many breeding Avocets, and Common Tern and Kentish Plover were numerous in the area. From here we headed towards the observation tower at l'Alfacada, with a stop at Illa de Riu where a great surprise awaited us. In a mixed group of Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, and Greater Ringed Plover, nothing less than a Pectoral Sandpiper turned up. Although Alberto was familiar with this species from back home, it was a lifer for Nancy who cheered along with Cristian at the rare find. The fields also held numerous Audouin's Gulls, but now this pretty gull was no longer the only rarity around and thus probably did not get the attention it deserved.

From the observatory at Alfacada we saw a couple of Glossy Ibis, and Sand Martins were flying above the canal separating Illa de Buda from the rest of the delta. Over the sea we spotted two young Gannets and a Balearic Shearwater, and in the nearby lagoon we saw Great White Egret, Shelduck, Purple Swamphen, Little Bittern, and Sandwich Tern.

We went back for dinner in the hotel, and after the meal Nancy read us a poem she had written about the trip. Later we went on an evening excursion to Montsią in the hope of finding nightjars, but only a Little Owl, a Moorish Night Gecko, and a Hedgehog turned up.

Sunday May 28th - Day 9

As both Nancy and Alberto were spending a few days in Barcelona after the trip, we were in no hurry to travel north. Instead, we packed the car and went for a short drive around Montsią. In a group of Common Swifts we spotted a couple of Alpine Swifts, and we stopped to have a better look. A Pallid Swift was also found among the group, and circling the top of the mountain closest to us was a lone Bonelli's Eagle. A Eurasian Nightjar was singing in the distance, as if to make up for its absence the night before. Satisfied with these new additions to our species list, we made our way towards Barcelona.

At the Llobregat Delta we challenged the hordes of beach visitors and found a parking space close to the little reserve. Next to the carpark a Green Woodpecker was calling, and numerous starlings and sparrows were busying themselves at their nests in the trees. In the reserve itself we saw a small selection of the birds already encountered in the Ebro Delta, and - just as we were about to let the heat and our need for lunch direct us towards the car - a single male Ruff turned up at the edge of one of the lagoons. Alberto had to perform yet another chicken dance! He and Nancy had both been hoping for this bird, so it was a very appropriate ending to the trip.

We entered the city of Barcelona and had a goodbye lunch at a tapas bar in the centre, before saying our goodbyes at the hotel. As usual the goodbyes were sad, but at least we are confident that we'll all meet again before too long. Good luck to you both with birding, grandchildren, and everything else until then!

Best wishes,

Cristian & Iben

Comments from Nancy

The 2 of you have given me a great gift. The opportunity to see Spain, experience Catalan culture, learn some things about Danish culture from Iben's conversations, learn about the birds and other individuals in nature...and do all this under ideal conditions. 2 birders, 2 guides, 4 friends. It could not have been better! Your enthusiasm and love of what you do is inspiring and encourages me to learn more.